Dublin Array is an offshore wind farm that is being developed on the Kish and Bray Banks in the Irish Sea, 10 km off the nearest coast of Dublin and Wicklow. Ireland has one of the best wind resources in the world. By harnessing this resource, we can meet mandatory EU energy targets, create jobs, help to combat climate change and increase Ireland's security of energy supply.

With a potential installed capacity of at least 500 MW, the Dublin Array will generate enough green electricity to meet the demands of over half a million homes. This means a large proportion of the electricity needed by Dublin would be supplied by Dublin Array.

The population of the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) is about 38% of the population of Ireland. The amount of wind energy that will be needed for Ireland to reach EU 2020 legally binding targets for green electricity consumption will be approximately 4,500 MW (1 megawatt = 1,000 kilowatts). The proportion of this figure that will be accounted for, on a conservative basis, by the per capita demand of the GDA will be approximately 1,750 MW. However, there is negligible renewable electricity generation in the GDA and this capacity must then be located elsewhere in Ireland, principally in the south west, west and north west of the country. Dublin Array can help to remedy this apparent anomaly by allowing the GDA to contribute 500 MW of green energy towards the national target.

Even though the offshore wind turbines as will be used in Dublin Array are much taller than onshore wind turbines, their visibility is far less. This is because they are at least 10 km away from the nearest coast and at least 14 km from Dublin Bay (Poolbeg Lighthouse). At 10 km, the turbines will appear at about the height of your thumbnail (not thumb!) held at arm's length - this is an angle of about 1 degree. In comparison, the Poolbeg Chimneys, when viewed from Sandymount Strand would make a vertical angle of about 7 degrees at the viewer's eye and a typical onshore wind turbine, at a setback of 500 m will make an angle of about 15 degrees.